In application Ser. No. 574,300 filed May 5, 1975 there is disclosed a vapor deposition apparatus. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,840 there is disclosed an evaporation source for utilization in the vapor deposition apparatus. Ingot gripping means was provided in said evaporation source which is to prevent the ingot from dropping out of the evaporation source when the evaporation source was being reloaded with a new ingot. In the vapor deposition apparatus disclosed in said copending application, it is very desirable that the apparatus operate as continuously as possible so as to increase its capacity. In the operation of such apparatus continuously, it has been found that the ingot grippers heretofore utilized became clogged up with the coating material utilized which caused excessive wear of the parts of the gripper assembly to cause their failure to operate satisfactorily. A number of different types of gripping assemblies have been utilized, but they have all been characterized by excessive wear and subsequent failure. Such failure was very disadvantageous because it would require the entire automatic vapor deposition apparatus to be shut down to make repairs to the ingot gripping assembly. In addition, in the ingot gripper assemblies heretofore utilized, material from the ingots which would chip off the ingot would fall into the ingot gripper assembly and prevent it from operating properly. There is therefore a need for a new and improved gripper assembly.